Barbara Bush Hitting Palin to Help Jeb?

posted at 7:26 pm on November 22, 2010 by Matt Lewis

Personally, I think Barbara Bush’s Palin-bashing (assuming saying she hopes Palin stays in Alaska qualifies as “bashing”) has more to do with her moderate political philosophy than it does with any strategy for helping elect her son.

Having said that, I am starting to hear rumors that Jeb is telling potential prominent supporters to “keep their powder dry,” meaning not to endorse or support any 2012 candidates until they check back with him.

There is no doubt that Jeb Bush is highly qualified, and if his name were “Jeb Smith,” he would be the 2012 front-runner today.

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Comments

I used to assume that maybe Barbara Bush meant it in some other way until seeing that clip. You can tell how nasty and low-class she was being from her facial expression.
sharrukin on November 22, 2010 at 7:38 PM

That is who she is: nasty and low-class in old pearls. I remember when she was First Lady she actually complained about people sending her Mother’s Day cards, asking them to stop because – get this – she wasn’t their mother. Can you imagine Sarah Palin doing that? Can you imagine Michelle Obama doing that? (Well…) And then there were her comments after Hurricane Katrina, in which she said this about the people who had lost literally everything they had ever known: “And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway, so this is working very well for them.” For all the comparisons to Marie Antoinette that Michelle Obama has inspired, I think Barbara Bush has had her fair share of “let them eat cake” moments, too. Her comments about Sarah Palin do not surprise at all.

That her sons seem to be fundamentally decent men, I always attributed to their faith and their father, not her. If she is not loathsome then she will do until it comes along.

Are you watching the series on Fox about the rise of conservatism? According to the show last night, the movers and shakers didn’t thing Pres. Reagan was electable in the general election because he was over the top conservative (according to them). They originally negotiated with former president Gerald Ford to be V.P. but he wanted to be a co-president and make cabinet choices. When Pres. Reagan wouldn’t go along, Bush was the next choice. But he had to stipulate to being pro-life. The rest is history.

I remember when she was First Lady she actually complained about people sending her Mother’s Day cards, asking them to stop because – get this – she wasn’t their mother. Can you imagine Sarah Palin doing that? Can you imagine Michelle Obama doing that? (Well…)…

Threshing Flora on November 22, 2010 at 9:15 PM

She seems like a self-absorbed nasty old lady.

There does seem to be a great deal of similarity between Michelle Obama and Barbara Bush as regards to petty remarks. I would say that at least Barbara Bush isn’t anti-American so there is that. The nasty comments about Geraldine Ferraro is something I just found out about recently.

Unless an older first lady is struck with dementia,I personally do not think that it is appropriate or a privilege to use the national venue to make snotty remarks about a conservative Republican who has been constantly trashed by the media.

There will be civil war in the Republican Party if Jeb Bush tries to run for the nomination. Simple. No more Bush people please.

I don’t care if he is highly qualified. If he runs, then change the name of the country to Merry Olde England. Invite the peasants to tithe and have the Elite Eastern Establishment Royal Males able to rape the soon to be married women.

Oh please.
I met Barbara Bush in person in 1988. I like her-and not just because we share the same first name. LoL
Seriously-so she isn’t fond of Gov. Palin.
So what.
Mrs. Bush is 80-something.
When you’re that old you get to say what you want. It goes with the territory.
If I live that long I GUARANTEE I’m going to be snarky.

Oh please.
I met Barbara Bush in person in 1988. I like her-and not just because we share the same first name. LoL
Seriously-so she isn’t fond of Gov. Palin.
So what.
Mrs. Bush is 80-something.
When you’re that old you get to say what you want. It goes with the territory.
If I live that long I GUARANTEE I’m going to be snarky.

annoyinglittletwerp on November 23, 2010 at 2:11 AM

Ahhh, lighten up on Ma Bush. Older people tend to say anything they want, regardless of what anyone thinks of their old fashion views. It appears to be the the privilege of age.

Cindy Munford on November 22, 2010 at 9:35 PM

Thank you!!

annoyinglittletwerp on November 23, 2010 at 2:12 AM

Most reasonable — and appropriate — comments here.

After a certain point in life, most people (Barbara Bush is a great example of this but I can think of many more examples like this one), most people just stop “playing social” and say whatever they opt to without censoring or trying to make-nice with or about others. It’s just a loss over time and with enough experiences of that pesky “Politically Correct” talk.

Barbara Bush’s remarks were hardly earth-shattering and so minor a “disturbance” that I’m having a hard time understanding why so many people even remark about it and her.

And Jeb Bush would never be elected President, so this is really a Straw Man “argument” to suggest that idea is what’s motivating Barbara Bush’s remark about Palin.

Jeb’s a well-trained, well-skilled administrator. But he’s not Presidential and I can rattle off a number of reasons about him that makes that so.

The WORSE fate for our nation, though, than a Jeb Bush in the White House would be the son of Jeb Bush, who is decidedly involved in politics — mostly of the agitation sort and it’s not (at all) what Conservatives or even Moderates/Independents in this nation would support.

I read Mrs. Bush’s book years ago and came away with the impression that she is a classless and petty woman, so I am not surprised by her jab at Palin. As I recall, she gave the Reagans a toilet seat as a gift – that tells me a lot.

Presidential families do not get more than two places on the role of Presidents… the Roosevelts over-stayed their welcome by a lot, and the Adams’ were in at the Framing but we haven’t heard much of them beyond Sam’s beer.

The Bush family is even less deserving than the Roosevelts and in no way can hold a candle to the Adams’.

No more Bushes, no more Roosevelts, and if the Addams Family wants to get Gomez to run, I’ll vote for him. I might even take a look at another Adams’, but they haven’t been a force in US politics for a long, long time so they may finally have gotten to a recycle point. These others, not so much.

I voted for Jeb for governor and thought he did a good job for Florida. He’s a nice looking man, articulate and his wife is a Latina so he could get that vote as well as the moderates because he is one. He would be appealing to the NE and left coast libs. He could beat Zero but I would have to sit this one out if he’s the candidate. No more rinos.

I cast four presidential votes for Bush’s. That’s enough. No more…ever. I won’t say I regret those votes, considering the alternatives, but I regret not having a better choice. Now things have changed. I recognize the marginal differences between statist Republicans and statist Democrats and I will never settle for the slow train to serfdom again. I’m prepared to be blamed, in part, for Obama’s second term, but either get a conservative or get bent, Republicans. Hint: Huckabee and Romney don’t cut it.

I think Barbara Bush’s Palin-bashing (assuming saying she hopes Palin stays in Alaska qualifies as “bashing”) has more to do with her moderate political philosophy than it does with any strategy for helping elect her son.

I suspect it has more to do with her dislike for (jealousy of?) successful women politicians. I still recall (with revulsion) when Bush cattily called VP nominee Geraldine Ferraro a bitch, rather than doing the classy thing and congratulating Ferraro for being the first ever woman nominee on a major political party ticket.

I read Mrs. Bush’s book years ago and came away with the impression that she is a classless and petty woman, so I am not surprised by her jab at Palin. As I recall, she gave the Reagans a toilet seat as a gift – that tells me a lot.

Done That on November 23, 2010 at 7:00 AM

Classy. I am so sick and tired of the Bush clan.

Ronald Reagan’s greatest mistake was to accept Bush as his running mate. We are still paying for it today.

You got Obama because you ran a sh*t candidate. Old, uncharismatic and scornful of a large portion of the base he was trying to court. You want to run a candidate that has many policies in common with Obama, you’re not going to get a lot of support from the right. You made your bed. Go lay down and shut up. How are those cross aisle reach arounds going for you?
As for Jeb, no thanks. Enough with the political dynasties. I’ll watch the GOP lose again cheerfully if they decide to run another RINO candidate. Sorry, sometimes the only way to learn is to suffer. No more half a** solutions.

Ahhh, lighten up on Ma Bush. Older people tend to say anything they want, regardless of what anyone thinks of their old fashion views. It appears to be the the privilege of age.
Cindy Munford on November 22, 2010 at 9:35 PM

Then I guess my age entitles me to say “Wouldn’t you think that someone from such an educated refined family would be able to respond to the question regarding Palin with a little more class?”

Isn’t that something the anti-Palin people criticize Palin for – not being diplomatic enough? Being too out-spoken?

What gives, Ma Frump?! I read on Drudge that in an interview she and Pa gave, they stated that Bill Clinton is hard to dislike?!?! He’s a likable guy?!?! Yet she’ll say snide things about Sarah Palin?!?!? That’s why career politicians and their families, if they no longer have anything worthwhile to offer, need to retire gracefully and disappear.

For U.S. Senate against Bill Nelson–which he should have done in 2006.

Jeb Bush was a good Governor of Florida, and could probably serve the nation by holding a conservative Senate seat there as long as he wants. But, thanks to his brother’s bungling with the press, the Bush name is toxic outside Florida and Texas, and Jeb should content himself with serving Florida.

As for Barbara Bush, who is SHE to bash Sarah Palin? She may have married a man who eventually became President, and given birth to another, but Sarah Palin was elected ON HER OWN MERITS (mayor of Wasilla, then Governor of Alaska), not because she married an Alaska fisherman!

Sometimes age can bring wisdom, but did Barbara Bush learn anything from the history of her own family? Her husband criticized Reagan’s ideas as “voodoo economics”, but Reagan chose him as VP nominee to unite the party. Reagan’s “voodoo economics” led to economic boom times, Bush 41 rode his coattails to the Presidency, then squandered his mandate trying to negotiate a “new world order” while raising taxes, which led to 8 years of Clinton. Her son then won the Presidency in a squeaker, rallied the country around himself by tax cuts and facing terrorism, then squandered his second term by overspending and bungling the response to Katrina and the banking crisis.

Sarah Palin may or may not be the best Republican candidate in 2012–her ideas have galvanized the party, but also the opposition, and she has also made mistakes. There may be a better candidate who can gather a majority around him/herself in 2012. But that’s up to the primary voters to decide, not Barbara Bush.

Barbara Bush needs the same advice as Jimmuh Carter…go quietly into the sunset, and let a new generation take the reins.

Look, Barbara Bush formed her opinion on Palin based on mass media information (we got this from her own quote, ‘sat next to her once’). She who lived through the political life for how many decades should know better to judge some one without knowing him/her.

Also based on BB’s own words, Palin should stay in AK because she’s happy there, is some one who does not know the meaning of ‘SERVING THE PEOPLE’. Palin (or someone else) feels compelled to run not for the title or the power, but because there is no one else to do the job.

and if his name were “Jeb Smith,” he would be the 2012 front-runner today.

Maybe.

In any event, this is good, fun speculation.

Yes.

What is interesting about this thread is it seems to validate the assertion that if anyone says anything that is perceived to be a slight against Palin, said person must be either a RINO, a liberal, or in Mrs. Bush’s case:

You state a sad sad fact. The Palin folks almost disqualify her completely, nobody wants nasty people like the Palin supporters running anything.

Palin may be a great candidate, but it is so hard to get past her supporters to see her. And if this is the quality of people who support her… I don’t know… well, they just don’t do her any good with all the petty meaness toward everyone else. It makes Palin sound nasty and mean.

It is hard to know why Palin supporters think anyone would be drawn to that kind of thing.